A gas turbine engine typically includes a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. Air entering the compressor section is compressed and delivered into the combustion section where it is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate a high-speed exhaust gas flow. The high-speed exhaust gas flow expands through the turbine section to drive the compressor and the fan section.
The turbine section operates at elevated temperatures and therefore cooling air from the relatively cool compressor section is bleed off and directed to the turbine section. Moreover, the gas turbine supplies air for other aircraft system such as environmental control and wing anti-icing systems. Increasingly efficient gas turbine engines operate at higher temperatures and therefore heat exchange devices for cooling the bleed air to desired temperatures become larger and more complex.
Although increasing gas turbine engine efficiencies provide many benefits, turbine engine manufacturers must continue to meet packaging and airframe bleed air requirements and therefore seek further improvements to bleed air systems.